Untitled
c. 1852
Medium
Daguerreotype
Dimensions
Image: 13.5 × 18.5 cm (5 3/8 × 7 5/16 in.); Case: 17.9 × 23 cm (7 1/16 × 9 1/16 in.)
Classification
photograph
Department
Photography and Media
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
236150
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
An astonishingly sharp image on a mirrored surface, the daguerreotype was the most popular form of portraiture in the United States during the 1840s and ’50s. Because of its relatively low cost, people from all walks of life could afford to have their likeness made, many for the first time. This image—a daguerreotype of daguerreotypes—likely documents a college class. Reproducing the set of images allowed each student to have a picture of the entire class—setting the stage, much later, for yearb...